Virat Kohli Birthday: Top 5 victories for India under Kohli in Tests

Virat Kohli first captained India in a Test on the 2014/15 tour of Australia when MS Dhoni was ruled out of the first game at Adelaide owing to an injured hand. It did not take long for the young Kohli to leave an ever-lasting imprint – he dared to audaciously chase down 364 on a wearing fifth-day pitch with the threat of a loss looming large.

Stand-in captain Kohli, hit on the helmet first ball by Mitchell Johnson in the first innings, raked up confident and courageous knocks of 115 and 141 in vain to nearly become only the second captain to slam twin hundreds as well as win their first Test as captain.

Soon, Kohli would replace Dhoni at the helm permanently and lead India to memorable Test wins besides playing multiple match-defining innings himself. On his birthday, Sportskeeda remembers five of India’s best Test victories under Kohli.

#5 West Indies vs India, Antigua, 2016

India 566/8d beat West Indies 243 and 231 (f/o) by an innings and 92 runs

With India playing West Indies for the first time since Kohli assumed Test captaincy and a mature Kohli returning to the shores of his Test debut in 2011, an inexperienced line-up would always spell trouble for the hosts. Batting first, India lost two wickets early after winning the toss but Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli steadied the ship with a 105-run association before Dhawan fell for 84.

To add to West Indies' frustration, India’s skipper and the promoted Ravi Ashwin – up to number six in the order – added a vital 162. Kohli went on to complete his maiden Test double hundred – he fell for exactly 200 – while Ashwin himself struck 113, his third Test century – all against West Indies.

India declared with a massive 566 on the board following which Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami got four wickets each as West Indies tumbled for 243, well short of avoiding the follow-on. Only Kraigg Braithwaite, 74, and Shane Dowrich, 57*, provided some resistance.

In the second essay, with India opting to bowl again, Ashwin expertly utilized a slow pitch and extracted appreciable turn to fold up West Indies for 231. Figures of 7/83, the third-best by an Indian spinner outside Asia, led India to their first innings win in West Indies and Ashwin to his fifth Man of the Match award.

#4 West Indies vs India, Gros Islet, 2016

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bagged 5/33 as India aimed to seal the series

India 353 and 217/7d beat West Indies 225 and 108 by 237 runs

West Indies fielded first and removed India’s top five with merely 126 on the board. Shannon Gabriel and teenage debutant Alzarri Joseph responded to their captain’s call by castling India early. Virat Kohli was Joseph's first Test wicket, with only KL Rahul making a decent score. India needed a stable partnership to tighten the screws and Ravi Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha’s determination did more than that. Patiently, the pair put on 213 to kill all the momentum that West Indies had gained. Saha fell for 104, his first Test ton, while Ashwin continued his joyride with yet another Test hundred -- this time a composed 118 -- to rescue India.

The entire top five got starts for West Indies but Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s swing and accuracy took apart their batting. Only Kraigg Braithwaite crossed fifty as a feeble batting order collapsed from 202/3 to 225 all out. Bhuvneshwar bagged 5/33 as India attempted to push for a win and close the series. That was when Ajinkya Rahane hurt West Indies with a crucial knock of 78*. India declared at 217/7 with Miguel Cummins claiming 6/48.

West Indies were set 346 on the fifth day but India required only 47.3 overs to bowl the hosts out, for 108. Kohli became the first Indian captain to win two Tests in West Indies as India walked away with an unassailable 2-0 lead.

#3 India vs Australia, Bengaluru, 2017

Ravindra Jadeja got 6/63 to limit Australia's lead to 87

India 189 & 274 beat Australia 276 & 112 by 75 runs

Australia were ahead in the series, and though Steven Smith lost the toss in the second Test, Nathan Lyon, an under-rated off-spinner in Asian conditions until then, scythed through the entire Indian line-up on his way to golden figures of 8/50, the best by a visiting bowler in India. KL Rahul, on his home ground, alone contributed 90 of the 189 runs.

With precious few runs in the bank, India hit back through Ravindra Jadeja after Australia began cautiously on a track assisting substantial turn. Matt Renshaw and Shaun Marsh contributed important half-centuries before the lower order was spun out by Jadeja, who finished with 6/63 and Australia with 276 – a lead of 87.

Once again, India started shakily to find themselves at 120/4, with Josh Hazlewood wreaking havoc. But two of India’s calmest heads, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, reversed the situation, their impactful partnership of 118 giving India a breather. Rahane departed for 52 before Pujara fell for 92 as Hazlewood took 6/67 and Australia were set a challenging 188 on a spinning pitch.

In no time, Ravi Ashwin’s guile and experience finished things. The visitors were reduced to 112 all out from a position of relative strength at 67/2. Ashwin grabbed 6/41 with player of the match Rahul’s twin half-centuries going a long way in India squaring the series.

#2 Sri Lanka vs India, Colombo (RPS), 2015

Ajinkya Rahane got 126 and added crucial runs with Murali Vijay

India 393 and 325/8d beat Sri Lanka 306 and 134 by 278 runs

In Kohli’s first major assignment after taking over the Test leadership, India lost the first Test embarrassingly after dominating almost the entire match. Come the second game, KL Rahul and Kohli eased India’s nerves by stitching together 164 for the third wicket. Rahul got his second Test hundred – both were away from home – and Kohli, 78, following which Rohit Sharma, 79, and Wriddhiman Saha, 56, took India to 393 with Rangana Herath picking up four.

On a flat deck, Sri Lanka stuttered to lose their last seven wickets for only 65 on the board. Captain Angelo Mathews hit 102, aided by fifties from Kaushal Silva and Lahiru Thirimanne but wrist-spinner Amit Mishra’s 4/43 gave India an essential 87-run lead.

This time India responded through Ajinkya Rahane and Murali Vijay. The former hit 126 while the latter fell for 82 with almost all of the others getting off to starts but none of them converting. Dhammika Prasad and Tharindu Kaushal split eight wickets between them as India declared at 325 and asked Sri Lanka to chase 413 in an intriguing encounter on a spin-friendly track.

With the off-spin-leg-spin duo of Ravi Ashwin and Mishra preventing the hosts from getting off to a stable start, all India needed were 44 overs to bundle them out for 134. Ashwin got another five-for with India spoiling the legend Kumar Sangakkara’s farewell Test.

#1 Sri Lanka vs India, Colombo (SSC), 2015

Cheteshwar Pujara hit 145* while opening in the first innings to save India from trouble

India 312 and 274 beat Sri Lanka 201 and 268 by 117 runs

Sri Lanka fielded first and the returning Cheteshwar Pujara opened the batting only to see seven of his colleagues depart cheaply. Dhammika Prasad, with four early wickets, had broken India’s back but Pujara stood firm amidst brilliant swing and seam bowling. He finally found an able ally in Amit Mishra, with whom he added 104 before the latter was stumped for a more than handy 59. Pujara remained undefeated on 145 with India managing 312 on the board.

Ishant Sharma then repeatedly hit the right lengths as Sri Lanka feared facing a huge deficit – they were 48/6 at one stage – but rapid lower-order runs from Kusal Perera, who got 55, Prasad and Rangana Herath, 49, left India only 111 ahead with Ishant claiming 5/54. Aiming to build a solid advantage, India again succumbed to pace with Rohit Sharma and Stuart Binny eventually bringing middle-order stability. Prasad and Nuwan Pradeep picked up four men each as Ravi Ashwin, the batsman, steered India out of trouble by making 58 and stretching India’s lead to 385.

With the series on the line, Ishant and Umesh Yadav reduced Sri Lanka to 102/5. However, captain Angelo Mathews and Perera ensured things did not slip away easily with a quietly dominating partnership of 135. But once Ashwin removed Perera, Sri Lanka collapsed like nine pins to surrender the game.